Fintan McCarthy ready to tackle heavyweight division at LA Olympics

Lightweight rowing is done as an Olympic sport as of now. O’Donovan has already declared his intention to tackle the ‘heavies’ next time and McCarthy’s leaning in the same direction was confirmed at Dublin Castle.

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins greets Team Ireland rower Fintan McCarthy at the Team Ireland homecoming at Áras an Uachtaráin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

What next? It’s the question everyone asks of Olympians when the Games are over. Some have an answer on the tip of their tongue. Others can spend months, in some cases years, working out how to turn the page.

It’s five weeks since Paris passed the Olympic flame on to Los Angeles but the era of immediate cold turkey, where Irish sportspeople returned from the greatest show on earth to a complete void without anything in the way of support is over.